There, she finally came back to her senses and pulled back from Minerva's firm grasp of her arm.
"Minerva, I was joking! Jo-king! Remember the significance of that word! Joking!"
Minerva faintly smiled.
"I do. Come over here."
"What?"
"Come over here."
Despite herself, Serena obeyed. Minerva nodded.
"Listen, here is the plan…"
"Minerva," the Astronomy teacher uttered. "we don't need a plan. We are going back this instant! For God's sake, I am not going to break into the office of my employer."
"You don't need to."
"What?"
Minerva sighed and rolled her eyes, again grabbing Sera's arm.
"What? What? Really, Sera, you aren't that stupid, are you! Look, over there!"
She pointed, but, though Serena's gaze followed the line of her slender, pale finger, the woman frowned. An empty corridor and a large chandelier. So?
Minerva rolled her eyes once more.
"The chandelier, Sera! Unscrew it, drop it- make a lot of noise! Albus hears it- comes running out, and a certain tabby cat creeps into his office… and… and finds out…"
She lowered her eyes- and it were those three last words that made Serena oppress the rather sharp comment she had very nearly spoken. Suddenly, she saw her friend of twenty years as whom she really was- a woman who loved with all her heart. Softly she let her hand brush the other woman's arm.
"Alright, Min. I'll do it. I'll come running from the opposite direction… I'll try and give you ten minutes, okay? I'll do it…" she repeated once more, as if to properly convince herself…
And she did it. She almost dropped the large, metal chandelier right on her head, and she had quite a lot of difficulty with unscrewing it, yet finally it landed, producing a very satisfactory "bang", on the stone floor. Rapidly, Sera left, dragging the quickly-summoned chair she had been standing on with her.
She just hoped Minerva found what she wanted. Or perhaps she didn't… Because, whoever it would be, it would be a shock anyway and Serena found it heartbreaking to see her brave, pulled-together friend in so much pain… Yet, perhaps she was right and perhaps it was the best for her just to find it…
But that exactly was the problem. Minerva couldn't find the damn thing… She had swiftly entered the office as soon as the loud bang of the metal hitting the stone had echoed through the corridors and as soon as Albus- Albus!- had rushed towards the place of the "accident"… She searched and searched and kept on searching, and she did find some rather interesting things- mostly socks, in fact- but she didn't find the one thing she was looking for! Before she realized it, her ten minutes were gone and she stood on the cold stone floor of the corridor again… just in time, because she could already hear Albus' footsteps echoing! After he had re-entered his office, she rushed towards the place were Serena certainly curiously waited.
"And?" was her greeting.
Minerva shrugged her shoulders and- to her great irritation- felt new tears pricking behind her eyes.
"Couldn't find it…"
Serena felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
"You couldn't find it? You couldn't f… Minerva, that thing…" She frantically pointed at the chandelier.
"has very nearly hit me on the head! And you couldn't…"
"Perhaps we should just stop trying…" was Minerva somewhat muffled response, but Serena, to her own great surprise, determinedly shook her head.
"Oh no! Listen here- you unscrew this thing again- it's not original but it's something!- and I'll enter! Clear? Here's a chair…"
The light returned to Minerva's eyes and she gratefully smiled as she ascended the chair and reached for the chandelier.
"You are a darling, Sera. Now how does it unscrew… er, let me try…"
"No, Min…" Serena pointed. "It unscrews the other way. And-"
"And what, Professor Sinistra?" a sudden, low, slightly amused voice suddenly interrupted them. Minerva turned around quicker than she had ever thought possible. She almost fell off the chair as her eyes met… Albus Dumbledore's…
"Minerva, I was joking! Jo-king! Remember the significance of that word! Joking!"
Minerva faintly smiled.
"I do. Come over here."
"What?"
"Come over here."
Despite herself, Serena obeyed. Minerva nodded.
"Listen, here is the plan…"
"Minerva," the Astronomy teacher uttered. "we don't need a plan. We are going back this instant! For God's sake, I am not going to break into the office of my employer."
"You don't need to."
"What?"
Minerva sighed and rolled her eyes, again grabbing Sera's arm.
"What? What? Really, Sera, you aren't that stupid, are you! Look, over there!"
She pointed, but, though Serena's gaze followed the line of her slender, pale finger, the woman frowned. An empty corridor and a large chandelier. So?
Minerva rolled her eyes once more.
"The chandelier, Sera! Unscrew it, drop it- make a lot of noise! Albus hears it- comes running out, and a certain tabby cat creeps into his office… and… and finds out…"
She lowered her eyes- and it were those three last words that made Serena oppress the rather sharp comment she had very nearly spoken. Suddenly, she saw her friend of twenty years as whom she really was- a woman who loved with all her heart. Softly she let her hand brush the other woman's arm.
"Alright, Min. I'll do it. I'll come running from the opposite direction… I'll try and give you ten minutes, okay? I'll do it…" she repeated once more, as if to properly convince herself…
And she did it. She almost dropped the large, metal chandelier right on her head, and she had quite a lot of difficulty with unscrewing it, yet finally it landed, producing a very satisfactory "bang", on the stone floor. Rapidly, Sera left, dragging the quickly-summoned chair she had been standing on with her.
She just hoped Minerva found what she wanted. Or perhaps she didn't… Because, whoever it would be, it would be a shock anyway and Serena found it heartbreaking to see her brave, pulled-together friend in so much pain… Yet, perhaps she was right and perhaps it was the best for her just to find it…
But that exactly was the problem. Minerva couldn't find the damn thing… She had swiftly entered the office as soon as the loud bang of the metal hitting the stone had echoed through the corridors and as soon as Albus- Albus!- had rushed towards the place of the "accident"… She searched and searched and kept on searching, and she did find some rather interesting things- mostly socks, in fact- but she didn't find the one thing she was looking for! Before she realized it, her ten minutes were gone and she stood on the cold stone floor of the corridor again… just in time, because she could already hear Albus' footsteps echoing! After he had re-entered his office, she rushed towards the place were Serena certainly curiously waited.
"And?" was her greeting.
Minerva shrugged her shoulders and- to her great irritation- felt new tears pricking behind her eyes.
"Couldn't find it…"
Serena felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
"You couldn't find it? You couldn't f… Minerva, that thing…" She frantically pointed at the chandelier.
"has very nearly hit me on the head! And you couldn't…"
"Perhaps we should just stop trying…" was Minerva somewhat muffled response, but Serena, to her own great surprise, determinedly shook her head.
"Oh no! Listen here- you unscrew this thing again- it's not original but it's something!- and I'll enter! Clear? Here's a chair…"
The light returned to Minerva's eyes and she gratefully smiled as she ascended the chair and reached for the chandelier.
"You are a darling, Sera. Now how does it unscrew… er, let me try…"
"No, Min…" Serena pointed. "It unscrews the other way. And-"
"And what, Professor Sinistra?" a sudden, low, slightly amused voice suddenly interrupted them. Minerva turned around quicker than she had ever thought possible. She almost fell off the chair as her eyes met… Albus Dumbledore's…